We need new players

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We need new players

Not so long ago the idea to set up a system to guide newer players around the map was created (also called the mission/quest system). This system would provide some sort of tutorial to explain new players the game and provide quality of live improvements like a free mini cooper and planters.
I think we should all acknowledge that the Perpheads player count is dropping. The days that you had to wait hours in the que sever doing team deathmatch are over. I think that I speak for the most of us that when I say that a populated server is more fun to play on than a server in which just 20 players are on.

I think one of the main problems is that we see a lot of veteran players leaving and these places are not being filled up by newer players. I think one of the reasons that a lot of newer players do not keep sticking is because the game is verry chaotic and hectic when you first start. You do not know how to get a job, guns or a car. It almost seems like a walking simulator. Or maybe you are lucky, and someone tries to explain you the basics. But then still would the server with all its mechanics would be verry overwhelming.

The problem is that the players who leave after 30 minutes of playing on the sever are not the people who make forum suggestions or express the barriers they are experiencing. They just leave and start looking for a more accessible server to play on.

What I would suggest is that we make the ‘tutorial/mission system’ one of our biggest priorities. I think we should acknowledge that some serious work needs to be done to keep the server alive and that this project is more important than a map update for example. I know this might be unpopular with some veterans. But in the long run this will be beneficial for them to. Because they will be able to keep playing on an active server.

I know this implementation requires a lot of man hours. But I think that keeping the server interesting for new player to join will be beneficial for the community from a gameplay perspective. But also, for the owners from a financial aspect. Since running a server costs money. I know its easy for make to make this post because I do not spend hours and hours of my free time developing for the server. Like @Samuel and @McGlinchy did/do. But I do believe this is an important point to make.
 
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Did @roxie not make a system like this? I vaguely remember someone dropping a video of the new tutorial system in chatbox not long ago
 
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New players is an issue for every community throughout GMod, it's an old game, with a dwindling playerbase and the competition for players is intense. I think personally the biggest thing to help new players would be an in depth tutorial system as was teased earlier on in the year. Without that there is only so much Helper Blackdown can do to base with 10 sweaters at a time showing them the ropes. Player assistance can only go so far and is quite limited, but I believe that an in depth tutorial system would certainly help keep players attracted to the server for longer periods of time.
 
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I have spoken to new players just to see why they joined perp and it seems to either be returning old players that have rejoined to see how perp is going or from a friend recommending the server. Another issue is that deciding what to do and how to do it is difficult for new players to decide since there isn't any assistance on how to join a job or craft an item. Yes we have guides on these functions but how would a new player see this, how would they know they get items in storage that would help them? As most of us are very familiar to the server it's easy to do normal day-to-day activities as we have that knowledge, but go back to when you first started and were new to the server and needed help starting off etc. This server is not a walk in the park since it stands out from other roleplay servers and I don't need to even make a comparison to DarkRP since that's a whole world of its home. I just hope this mission/quest system addresses this issue so that newer players feel welcomed and gain the knowledge to stay on the server for a longer period of time.
 

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It's terminal, I gave @flugs's friend 50k and showed him how to grow drugs and he decided to leave forever after an hour or so
 
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Showed PERP to some Discord friends recently, there seem to be two sides here:
gNkidC3.png

OnczXvQ.png

And the other:
NDmAbBl.png


One had a proper introduction with me guiding him around and going on-duty, the other went in blind. It really needs a tutorial or else you're just doomed as a new player as it looks like guides are only read when players decide to stick around for a while.

The tutorial area of the map is in place with V5 btw, only a matter of time until it's fully released.
 
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Showed PERP to some Discord friends recently, there seem to be two sides here:
gNkidC3.png

OnczXvQ.png

And the other:
NDmAbBl.png


One had a proper introduction with me guiding him around and going on-duty, the other went in blind. It really needs a tutorial or else you're just doomed as a new player as it looks like guides are only read when players decide to stick around for a while.

The tutorial area of the map is in place with V5 btw, only a matter of time until it's fully released.
Let's hope so and CH is being moved so less jaywalkers to run over ;)
 
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new players want nothing else but a money printer, vape swep and an F4 menu.
without the gmod spawnmenu or a job menu they're instantly lost and bored. The first 15 minutes of a newbie's time are probably the most important. Why play outdated perp with an ugly UI and really jittery mechanics when some darkRP servers feel 100x as modern, fluid and fun?
 
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new players want nothing else but a money printer, vape swep and an F4 menu.
without the gmod spawnmenu or a job menu they're instantly lost and bored. The first 15 minutes of a newbie's time are probably the most important. Why play outdated perp with an ugly UI and really jittery mechanics when some darkRP servers feel 100x as modern, fluid and fun?
I actually totally agree, new players aren't interested in the "slow-paced" game play that PERP offers. And with the features of modern day DarkRP servers it is hard to justify investing so much time to gain success in PERP when just as much can be earned in DarkRP with a fraction of the time investment. Ultimately this would fall under some constraints of the game mode and sadly I don't really see a clear work around here.
 
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I feel like the server has currently entered a 'Fortnite Stage'. What does this mean? It has entered a state where the only players are veteran players that have an arsenal equivalent to 5 small armies and are just shitting on everyone that plays. Fortnite had the exact same, the only players left are the 'good' players that have played the game every day since it came out.

Unlike Fortnite, I think that can still change for PERP. I just don't know how.
 
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IMO there should be a small video for starters where they can do the starting stuff example: Where to apply for city jobs/How to get money with alternative methods then jobs.

I'm a fairly new player and I had some help with drugs and such in the beginning and I found it rather hard to navigate throughout the city without any information. For example, I don't know where to become a taxi driver and I've played for the last 2 months or so.

Getting players in is already hard but getting them to stay is another challenge, if the server is experiencing a lack of new players efforts should be made so new players don't get overwhelmed by how different it is then a regular f4 job menu. (I like this system more as its a more serious and IRL way of doing things)

I'd recommend making a video tutorial or a small tutorial on how to start with things from spawning in. Make it appear when people join the server so they know where to find it.
 
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I feel like the server has currently entered a 'Fortnite Stage'. What does this mean? It has entered a state where the only players are veteran players that have an arsenal equivalent to 5 small armies and are just shitting on everyone that plays. Fortnite had the exact same, the only players left are the 'good' players that have played the game every day since it came out.

Unlike Fortnite, I think that can still change for PERP. I just don't know how.
From my experience as a new player, I've seen certain people from an org leave new players alone, even donate money/guns to help them out. This is a form of way the community can help. Not the server owners but we as regular players. If we contribute towards those new players, help them out, get them started we can also change the "Fortnite stage"

Snowballing will always be a thing for servers like these, veterans will have the upper hand, but its what they choose to do is more of a concern.
 
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IMO there should be a small video for starters where they can do the starting stuff example: Where to apply for city jobs/How to get money with alternative methods then jobs.

I'm a fairly new player and I had some help with drugs and such in the beginning and I found it rather hard to navigate throughout the city without any information. For example, I don't know where to become a taxi driver and I've played for the last 2 months or so.

Getting players in is already hard but getting them to stay is another challenge, if the server is experiencing a lack of new players efforts should be made so new players don't get overwhelmed by how different it is then a regular f4 job menu. (I like this system more as its a more serious and IRL way of doing things)

I'd recommend making a video tutorial or a small tutorial on how to start with things from spawning in. Make it appear when people join the server so they know where to find it.
Only if @rogue is forced to do the voicing for it
 
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